Time is running out for these lines to hit their stride and for players to get comfortable with one another. In Seguin’s case, he’s still picking up the little things needed to round out his game in his own end, plus there’s the adjustment to a couple of new linemates in a new league.

Considering that each of the team’s four lines has a newcomer on it, the line that has impressed most thus far in training camp has been that top line of Krejci, Lucic, and Horton. The former Panther in Horton has picked up a pair of goals so far in the preseason, and Krejci seems ready to shine as a No. 1 center. Factor in Lucic’s aspirations to score at least 20 goals this season without losing his physical mentality, and the makings seem to be there for something special. Even with the promise shown, nobody is satisfied yet.

“I don’t think we click together very well yet,” Krejci said Friday. “I think we’ve had some good shifts, some good chemistry on some shifts, but I don’t think we’ve brought it every shift. I believe that there is something and we’re going to try to find it in each shift when we go out there.”

Horton agreed. Though Seguin and Caron might not have gigantic expectations because of their age, Horton, 25, is expected to put up career numbers in his first season in Boston.

“I think we’re getting better,” Horton said. “Obviously, we need to get better, but we’re just trying to work on things, getting used to each other’s games. It will come, I think. We’ve got two more games to get ready for the regular season.”

Asked if players can get by on talent alone in the preseason before having to show more cohesion with linemates when it counts, Krecji didn’t feel the difference between an exhibition and a regular season game was substantial enough.

“It’s not really much different than the [regular season] games,” Krejci said. “Everybody works so hard, does the same things, but you’ve got to know how to use experience and buy some time. That’s what happened when Horton scored that goal against Florida at home, so little things like that could help, and hopefully that’s going to help us tomorrow and the first exhibition game in Czech. Then, hopefully we can carry it into regular season games.”

BELFAST — Sprints from side to side along the blue lines and center ice at the Odyssey Arena appears to be a bit more of a tiring affair than usual for the Bruins, and it’s not because of jet lag. Because the Bruins are playing in Europe, they will have to get used to European ice, which is wider and thus makes for a more offensive game.

“You have to really adjust your defensive game,” captain Zdeno Chara said Friday. “You know that the opponent has way more ice to take. You can’t be running out of your position. You’ve got to play more as far as dots on the ice. You can’t get too carries away running to the boards.

“There’s probably an extra 10 feet on each side, so there’s going to be way more room for forwards. As a defenseman, you still have to play that structure and tight defensively.”

Though the defensemen have to be much more careful to prevent a high-scoring game, David Krejci and the forwards have enjoyed how spacious playing in the offensive zone is.

“There’s so much room,” Krejci said. “We did some drills today in the corners. Back in Boston, it’s so tight, you don’t have much room. Here, you’ve got so much room and a little more time, too. It’s going to take a little more time to get used to, so you don’t have to move [the puck] too quick. You can hold it a little bit longer — not too long — but a little longer and make some smarter plays.”

As for getting used to new ice, a new time zone, and not falling apart in the process, Nathan Horton doesn’t think the team has lost any steam since arriving at around 10:30 a.m. local time (5:30 a.m. EST).

“I think everyone felt better today,” Horton, who slept for two hours on the plane but joked that “you can’t doze off” when films such as The A-Team and the Jaden Smith remake of The Karate Kid were being shown. “I think it was a better practice overall, and I think we’re getting better every day.”

BELFAST — Shawn Thorntonhas a reputation on the ice as a guy who is in his element when his hands are bare. In the locker room, he’s got a reputation as the nicest guy you’d meet, and with such a sense of humor that taking his words literally could confuse the common man (an Irish cameraman almost tried placating him Thursday when he sarcastically complimented him on having the brightest lights ever).

In spending some time with Thornton’s mother, Christine, who is visiting Belfast for the first time since she was four years old, it’s quite clear where he gets his sense of humor from. In fact, she said time and time again Friday while watching the Bruins practice at Odyssey Arena that, “now you see where he gets his sense of humor from.”

There were quite a few members of the Mills (Christine’s maiden name) in attendance on Friday, with Thornton’s mother often standing up to take a picture of her son and jokingly venting frustration over Thornton’s not looking at the camera. Here’s a snapshot of the family members in attendance (Christine is second in from the left). To clear up any confusion that may be caused by the picture, Thornton is not related to any NESN or Boston Herald employees.

BELFAST — Was. Past tense. As in screw what time it is back in the states, this day — as fantastic and eye-opening as it’s been — should come to an end for the sake of re-energizing to do it all again. And I can’t wait. Let us recap.

The day started Wednesday morning with media day and pushed right on through until late Thursday (Belfast time). Not a lot of sleeping on the flight, but that’s what happens when you can have all the crackers, bacon egg and cheese sandwiches, and Diet Coke you can dream of.

The end of the plane ride was pretty fascinating in that I was surprised that the quote of the entire trip would come so early on. In doing the whole rundown of local time, weather, etc. when the plane landed, the pilot said the weather was “a little sketchy.” That would still have me confused now if I didn’t see a “Humps for 200 yards” traffic sign 10 minutes later.

For those who haven’t been to Belfast or even Ireland before, it’s amazing. Plus there are a bunch of cows all over the place. From a hockey standpoint, the team doesn’t seem dazed or confused from the travel at all, which is a good sign. The team held a productive practice and it doesn’t seem to be lost on them that though they’re overseas to open the season, they’re also being given their final two chances to shape up following an ugly loss to the Capitals Lite at TD Garden on Wednesday. There seems to be a good amount of accountability in that regard, so it should be interesting to see the Bruins go full-speed ahead in Belfast and then in Liberic before finally playing two in Prague with the Coyotes.

Bruins skate at 11 a.m. Friday, 5 a.m. your time, so look forward to waking up to a whole new batch of Belfast goodness.

BELFAST — There is no overstating just how big a hit Shawn Thornton has been since landing with the Bruins in Belfast on Thursday morning. Photographers and writers were eagerly awaiting his arrival as they stopped and asked him questions while he was still in the airport.

All of the hoopla, of course, is because Thornton’s mother was born in Belfast, hasn’t been there since she was six or seven by Thornton’s recollection, and will be in attendance — with 19 other family members — when the Bruins play the Belfast Giants/Elite League All Stars on Saturday. It will be a big moment for both Shawn and his family.

That’s where some of Claude Julien‘s humor came into play. Julien said in Thursday’s preference that while discussing how ecstatic Thornton was to head to Northern Ireland, coach told his forward he would be doing so in a different capacity than expected.

“I think there’s no doubt he was the happiest of the bunch [when he found out the Bruins were going to Belfast,” Julien said. “This will eb his claim to fame right now, being here in his mom’s hometown. He’s been excited. I’ve seen it in his face for a few days, so I told him he’d enjoy watching the game from the stands on Saturday.”

How did he take the news?

“He lost his smile there for a few seconds until he realized I was joking around.”

Thornton is currently switching in and out of the fourth line with Brian McGrattan.